Wedding bells on the horizon for Hamilton?

Posted on 23/02/2010

Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with Nicole Scherzinger is back on © Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton and Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger are back together. The pair who split last month after their careers meant they spent long periods apart, have reportedly been seen kissing.

Scherzinger has even fuelled rumours that the pair have decided to tie the knot. Asked by a shop assistant in Hollywood what she was looking for she replied: “This year - my wedding dress.”

Looks like Lewis could have more to contend with this year, other than just fighting for the championship.

Briatore in court again

Posted on 21/02/2010

Flavio Briatore is in hot water again © Sutton Images

Disgraced former Renault F1 boss Flavio Briatore is facing another court battle, this time over his luxury fashion brand.

Named after the Billionaire Club, his nightclub in Sardinia, the UK-based men’s fashion label is a collaboration between Briatore and fashion designer Angelo Galasso. The brand has a client base of over 5,000 people including David Beckham. The range includes jeans that retail at £1,000 and a £30,000 crocodile-skin umbrella.

Galasso claims that Briatore reneged on a deal to pay him 5% of the annual profits after he suggested restructuring their 51/49 split of the shares in order to attract more investment.

“I’m really, really disappointed,” he said. “Flavio kept saying ‘trust me, trust me’. But he didn’t respect the deal. He didn’t respect me.”

God Save ... Negaraku

Posted on 17/02/2010

The name might evoke memories of a golden age of British cars, but Lotus has confirmed it will run with a Malaysian license in 2010. If, therefore, it does win a grand prix, rather than God Save The Queen being played on the podium, Negaraku, the Malaysian national anthem, will ring out.

Schumacher to appear in Scalextric range

Posted on 17/02/2010

Michael Schumacher is set to join Lewis Hamilton and be immortalised by Scalextric in his Mercedes © Getty Images

Scalextric has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity, partly due to BBC Top Gear presenter James May recreating the legendary Brooklands circuit using the company’s products. Now it has pulled off a coup ahead of the new F1 season.

The company, which is owned by Hornby, has acquired the rights to immortalise seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in its new range. It managed to secure the deal as part of a sponsorship deal with the Mercedes team, which means Nico Rosberg will also appear in the range.

The company has a similar deal with McLaren, so F1 enthusiasts can re-enact races in the comfort of their own front rooms – all that is missing now is a mini Sebastian Vettel.

Teenage girl aims for F1 glory

Posted on 16/02/2010

Alice Powell in action © Sutton images

The Times reports on a 17-year-old girl hoping to become Britain’s first female Formula One driver for more than 30 years.

Alice Powell, who has been driving go-karts since she was eight, has attracted the attention of Manor Competition, the outfit who helped Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen. In 2009 she became the youngest ever driver in the Formula Renault Championships.

“I'm a human being exactly the same as the boys - I have two arms, two legs and there's no reason why I can't beat them,” Powell told the newspaper. “If a girl is out there doing well then more women would watch the sport. There are no female role models and parents see it as a dangerous sport for their daughters.”

Like all young drivers, her parents look on with a mixture of pride and concern. “I must admit my mum does worry,” Powell said. “I did roll a car once … it was fine though. If you have a fear of crashing then you are definitely in the wrong career because you are going to have a crash at some point.”

The fastest police car in the world

Posted on 15/02/2010

© ESPN

A few years ago Surrey police were believed to have been left almost powerless when a local Formula One team used the A3 and M25 to test its road cars in the early hours of the morning. While they could see the speeding vehicles, catching them was an altogether different business.

The authorities in Abu Dhabi have got round issues of speed by taking delivery of a new F999 car which can touch speeds of 400kph (250mph). The engine is from Ireland, the bodywork from Germany and the chassis, which can be raised to 10cm to cope with differing conditions, is from Hungary. 


Massa blags his way into Interlagos

Posted on 15/02/2010

Getting tickets for a grand prix is not always easy and rarely cheap. And it’s not only the general public who struggle, as Filipe Massa revealed.

Back in 2000, Massa was starting out as a driver and was making ends meet working driving trucks for a food-delivery company. At the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix he managed to get a ticket for the Friday practice but was facing watching the qualifying and the race itself on TV.

Ever resourceful, Massa found a way in. “My agent had a restaurant and was doing catering for the Benetton team,” he admitted. So I drove an old van to the circuit and stayed after that.”

Schumacher denies surgery rumours

Posted on 15/02/2010

Ralf Schumacher has denied reports he has had to undergo surgery after a skiing accident.

“I know nothing about it," he said. “I have merely bruised my shoulder and had no operations.”

Rumours started to circulate when he almost fell down stairs at a party at the end of January, although it took him a fortnight to issue a denial.

Fernandez turns his back on football

Posted on 15/02/2010

Lotus boss Tony Fernandes has ruled out investing in an English football club following his failed attempt to buy West Ham United last month.

Fernandes, who founded the AirAsia airline, has been linked with several cash-strapped clubs in recent weeks, from the Premier League down to lowly and largely forgotten Norwich City.

Asked at the Lotus launch if he was out of football for the moment, he said: “Everything happens for the best and maybe the best was not for West Ham but to focus on motor racing for the moment.

“People aren’t getting tired of watching sport, it is just the financial way it’s been run that has caused the problems.”